


Never Saw Blue

by sunsetmog



Series: Even If Nobody Else Sings Along [2]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Community: schmoop_bingo, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-25
Updated: 2010-06-25
Packaged: 2017-10-31 02:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/338880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsetmog/pseuds/sunsetmog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jackson takes Aaron for lunch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Saw Blue

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](http://sunsetmog-fics.livejournal.com/52011.html) in June 2010.
> 
> Beta by reni_days. Written for the schmoop_bingo prompt "cloud-watching".

"What's this?" Cain asks, when Jackson turns up at the garage with a carrier bag and a grin. 

"Come to take Aaron out to lunch," Jackson says, and Aaron, who's leaning back against the bonnet of some battered Peugeot, rolls his eyes. 

"Oh, have you," Cain says, with a smirk. He waves a wrench at Jackson in a vaguely threatening manner. 

Jackson resists the urge to say anything, and shakes his head instead, looking past Cain to Aaron. "You ready?"

"It's fraternising with the enemy," Cain says, loudly. He waves the wrench at Aaron. "See if you've still got a job in an hour, family or not."

"Do one, Cain," Aaron says, and he drops his spanner back into the toolbox by his feet. "Going to clean up," he tells Jackson, nodding back in towards the back of the garage. 

Jackson nods, sticking his hands in his pockets and leaning up against the wall of Declan's place. He has to drive into Hotten after lunch, and pick up some stuff for Declan's bathroom. He's pretty sure Declan should have handed this part of the job over to a plumber, but he hasn't, and Jackson's getting through it. It'll look pretty good when he's done, at least. 

He sighs, looking around. Cain's giving him the evil eye, which Jackson is sure is supposed to be threatening, and then, to add insult to injury, he spies Chastity coming out of the factory, and heading up the road towards them. 

Chastity gives him an inquisitive look as she comes over. "What's he doing?" she asks Cain, nodding at Jackson. 

Jackson wants to roll his eyes, because sometimes it is very, very obvious why Aaron is the worst communicator he's ever come across. "I am here, you know," he says. 

"Uh-huh," Chas says, suspiciously. Behind her, Cain smirks again. 

"He's taking your boy out to lunch," Cain tells her, and Chastity folds her arms. 

"You going to treat him right?" she asks him finally. 

"Yes," Jackson says, measuredly, because they've already had this conversation. He carefully doesn't point out how that question could possibly be better directed at Aaron, since the only person Jackson can think of round here who tries to have important conversations with his fists is Aaron. 

That said, Aaron's come a long way in the past few months, and if Jackson thought that Aaron was still the same person he'd been back then, he wouldn't be here right now, waiting for him with a carrier bag full of lunch. He can't help but appreciate how many people are looking out for Aaron, though, even if they're all fucking mental like Cain - who's still giving Declan's skip the evil eye and dumping half a ton of shit in to it every night. But sometimes Jackson remembers what it felt like when Adam told him about Aaron's attempted suicide, and he breaks out in a cold sweat just thinking about him trying it again. 

"Yes," he says again, in case Chastity didn't hear him the first time. 

Chastity looks vaguely mollified, but she's stopped from saying anything else by Aaron coming back out from inside the garage. 

"What are you doing here?" Aaron asks, coming out with his overall unbuttoned and hanging down at the waist again. 

"Just thought I'd drop in," Chas prevaricates, but Aaron just rolls his eyes and nods at Jackson. 

"We off, then?" he asks. He turns back to Chastity and Cain, shooting them a glance that Jackson can't read. They certainly understand it though, if Chastity's blustering and Cain's eye rolling is anything to go by. 

"Yeah," Jackson says, eyeing them with interest. He follows Aaron off the gravel and out on to the road, but he waits until they get up to the phone box at the top of the road before he elbows Aaron and says, "Hey."

Every now and again, Aaron does this thing where he ducks his head and his cheeks go pink, just for a moment. Jackson really likes the split second before Aaron covers it up and goes back to pretending that nothing affects him. He gets more than a split second this time, and he can't help but smile as Aaron ducks his head. 

"Hey," Aaron says, with an awkward smile. Then he sticks his hands even deeper into his pockets and nods back toward the garage. When Jackson looks back, Chastity and Cain - and Ryan, now, who must just be back from his lunch - are stood by the side of the road, watching them. When they see Jackson looking they all quickly look the other way. 

"Sorry about them," Aaron says. 

"It's alright," Jackson says, because it is. "They're looking out for you."

"They're being annoying," Aaron argues, but his argument lacks conviction.

"Yeah, well," Jackson says, with a shrug. "You don't mind them, do you?"

Aaron waits a moment before answering. "Not really," he admits, finally. 

"Well, then." Jackson says. "It must be nice, knowing they're all looking out for you." He wonders if he's far enough away from Aaron's prying family's eyes to ask for a kiss. Maybe not. 

"I suppose," Aaron says. Then he pokes at the carrier bag in Jackson's hand. "What's in the bag?"

"Lunch," Jackson tells him. He bats Aaron's hand away. "It's a surprise, stop trying to see."

"Now who's being all daft," Aaron says, and does a pretty bad attempt at covering up being touched by rolling his eyes. 

Jackson carefully does not say that he is refusing to tell Aaron what's in the bag because he doesn't actually know. He'd dropped in the pub first thing to see if Marlon could cobble together some sandwiches— _something Aaron likes_ , Jackson had said, imagining two cheese sandwiches and a hard-boiled egg. When he'd dropped back to pick it up, Marlon had presented him with a series of Tupperware boxes and some cutlery wrapped in a napkin. Jackson still feels a little bemused about the whole thing, particularly Marlon's closing advice, which had sounded a lot like some kind of warning against food fights but coupled with some complicated eyebrow waggling and a pointed look. Aaron's whole family are certifiable. Jackson really quite likes them. 

"Where are we going?" Aaron asks, still looking at the carrier bag, and Jackson shrugs, trying not to grin. 

"Down by the river again, I thought," he says, and Aaron does that funny half-smile again, the one that makes Jackson's stomach flip right over. He can't help it, he puts his arm around Aaron's shoulders before he's even realised what he's doing. He freezes, waiting for Aaron to pull away. "Uh," he says, but Aaron doesn't move. He stays still, with his hands in his pockets, but he doesn't pull away. "Should I -" he doesn't know what to say, because Jackson has spent a long time being okay with who he is, and he hasn't had to hide that in a long time. He really doesn't want to change that, even to accommodate Aaron slowly coming to terms with himself. 

"It's okay," Aaron says, finally, after the moment's stretched on far too long. 

"Yeah?" Jackson says, and he lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. 

"Yeah," Aaron says. He squares his shoulders, but doesn't pull away. "Yeah."

Jackson bites his lip, because he wants to kiss him, right here with everyone watching. He just pulls Aaron a little closer, that's all, and they walk down the road like that, with Jackson's arm around Aaron's shoulders, until they cross the bridge and follow the path along the edge of the river again. 

When they get to the stile, Aaron climbs over first, and then he holds his hand out, to help Jackson down. Jackson doesn't need his assistance, but he takes Aaron's hand anyway, and doesn't let go. Aaron's hand is hot in his, hot and a little unfamiliar, but good. Just for that moment where they stay holding hands by the stile, it feels nice. 

"My van's having trouble starting," Jackson says, after a moment where it's become increasingly clear that Aaron has no idea what to say. 

"Yeah, well. It would," Aaron says. "You need a new starter motor."

Jackson blinks. "How'd you know that?" he asks. 

Aaron rolls his eyes again. "Did you miss the part where I'm a mechanic?"

"You've never even had my bonnet up." Jackson says. 

Aaron just laughs, and raises an eyebrow. "I so have," he says

Jackson really, really wants to kiss him. Instead, he says, "You think you can fit me in for a new starter motor?"

Aaron looks considering. "On Saturday, I think. First thing."

"Thought you were shut on Saturdays?" 

Aaron shrugs. "Community Service," he says. "Got to make up my hours, like."

Jackson nods. "If I leave you the keys on Friday," he says, "you promise not to joyride around the village all Friday night?"

Aaron shakes his head. "Can't promise that," he says, seriously. "Depends if Paddy and Marlon are watching some stupid film again. They _cried_ , last time." He looks disgusted. "They paused it and pretended it was Reservoir Dogs."

Jackson laughs. "Maybe I'd better keep you busy on Friday, then," he suggests. 

Aaron raises an eyebrow. "Yeah?" 

"Yeah," Jackson shrugs. "We could go into Hotten. Get a bite to eat. Have a drink."

Aaron nods. "Yeah," he says. "Okay. Are we going to eat any time today, or did you just bring me out here to get me to mend your van?"

"I only want you for your mechanic's uniform," Jackson says, as seriously as he can manage. "I love an oily overall."

"You're mad, you," Aaron says, but he looks pleased, especially when Jackson tugs him closer and presses a kiss to Aaron's mouth. 

"I have to get a new knob for the my gear lever, too," Jackson tells him, with a grin. "Reverse is the opposite of what it says. Had to borrow one off a mate. Don't want you driving straight through the garage door or anything."

Aaron shakes his head and tugs on the carrier bag. 

Jackson lets him take the bag, and they sit down by the edge of the river. He watches as Aaron roots through the bag and comes out with the napkins and the cutlery and the Tupperware. 

Aaron scrinches his nose up. "What's this?" he asks, opening one of the tubs. Jackson shrugs. 

"Marlon made it," he admits, and it's his turn to blush. Especially as Aaron watches him for a moment before dropping the lid down on the grass. Whatever's inside looks quite a lot like lasagne.

Aaron grits his teeth and takes a bite, and then his face turns to one of appreciation. Jackson laughs. 

"Shut up," Aaron says, but he doesn't stop grinning. "It's nice, okay?"

"Right," Jackson says. They're sitting too close together, their shoulders touching, and it's too hot to be comfortable, the warm weather having showed up and decided not to bugger off straight away for a change. He helps himself to a forkful, and Aaron's right, it _is_ nice. "So," Jackson says, after a while. He reaches for a can of Coke. "It's nice, this, right?"

"What, the grub?" Aaron looks down at his lap then back at Jackson. "Yeah, it's great." He rolls his eyes, because Aaron is made up almost entirely of withering looks and a pretence at not caring. Jackson thinks that he is maybe one of the only people to see through Aaron's front.

"Shut up," Jackson says, because sometimes he has no idea what to say either. He settles for, "It's just. I really like you."

Aaron looks down at the ground. "Yeah, " he says awkwardly. "Me too." 

"And sometimes I'm just going to want to kiss you in the street."

Aaron makes a face, but it isn't an angry one. Or even a _no_ face. It's just a face. 

"I don't want to rush you," Jackson says, carefully, because this isn't what he'd planned when he picked up lunch for them both. "I'm just telling you. At some point in the future, that's what I'm going to want to do."

"Okay," Aaron says, finally. 

"Yeah?" Jackson says. "You're good with that?"

"Yeah," Aaron agrees, but he doesn't finish his food. He chucks the last forkful of his lasagne into the river, and a duck makes a pretty poor attempt at catching it before it sinks. He lays back on the grass with his hands behind his head. Jackson watches for a moment, before he puts the Tupperware containing the remains of his side salad down beside him. 

He lays down next to Aaron and bumps his ankle with his boot. "You ever lay outside when you were a kid and just look at the clouds?"

"You what?" Aaron gives him his best stare. "Are you wrong in the head or what?"

Jackson laughs. "Well, I like you," he says. He brushes his fingers against Aaron's shirt, just to make sure Aaron knows he's joking. 

"Shut up," Aaron says, comfortably. "What, you're just supposed to look at the clouds? See pictures and shit?"

"Yeah," Jackson says. "Like that one, it looks like a lion."

"You're a nutjob," Aaron says. "Where?"

"There," Jackson says, pointing. The sky is blue and mostly clear, apart from one cloud which looks like a lion, complete with a mane and a roar. 

Aaron squints up at the sky, one hand shielding his eyes from the sun. "That's not a lion," he says, finally. "It's a shark. Look." He traces the shape of a shark in the air, but Jackson's not looking up at the sky. He props himself up on his elbow instead. Aaron isn't watching him, and for a moment Jackson gets to see him without his guard up, happy and relaxed. Even when Aaron notices Jackson watching, he doesn't close up. Instead, he reaches up and slides his hand around the back of Jackson's neck.

Jackson lets himself be pulled down, and then Aaron's kissing him, soft and sweet and pliant.

"Thanks for lunch," Aaron says, between one kiss and the next. 

"S'okay," Jackson tells him. "Thanks for mending my van."

"Haven't done it yet," Aaron says. "Might just steal it and joyride round Leeds."

"Remember reverse isn't where it says it is," Jackson says. 

"Will do," Aaron says. "You think Marlon packed us any pudding?"

Jackson laughs. "Always thinking about your stomach."

"I'm a growing boy," Aaron tells him, sitting up. There are grass stains on his shirt, and there's no way he's going to be able to hide them. Jackson leans over and brushes the worst of the grass off his shoulders. Aaron grins, and he curls his hand around Jackson's knee as he reaches for the carrier bag. 

Jackson smiles right back, and when Aaron hands him a piece of Tupperware with two slices of cake inside, he bites his lip, and lets Aaron take the first bite.

[End]


End file.
